


Family

by chocolateer



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Bill Weasley is Doing His Best, But he's trying, F/M, Fleur Delacour Deserves Better, He's Not Very Observant, Help, How Do I Tag, I Tried, Out of Character, What Are Summaries?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-07
Updated: 2018-04-07
Packaged: 2019-04-19 13:01:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14237850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chocolateer/pseuds/chocolateer
Summary: Bill and Fleur are very much in love. Unfortunately, the rest of the Weasleys haven't quite grasped this.Set at various points during Half-Blood Prince.





	Family

**Author's Note:**

  * For [fleurting](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fleurting/gifts).



> So, I probably shouldn't have decided to write a Harry Potter fic, given that I haven't read the books in years. I especially shouldn't have set it during HBP, because that's the one book I don't own. I also shouldn't have let real life get in the way so much that my first draft was written at about 1:30 a.m. and it was edited across a few day at about that same time. I was sleep deprived, and I bet it shows. Anyway, here goes.

Fleur's first impression of the Burrow was not a favorable one. The house looked ready to topple over at the slightest gust of wind. She glanced at Bill. “You are sure eet is safe?”  
“Of course it is. Lived here most of my life, and my parents longer than that, and it hasn't fallen yet.”  
She sighed. “And you sure your family does not 'ate me? They 'ave not been too welcoming before.”  
“Fluer, how could they not love you? You're family now.” Bill kissed her, before stepping up to ring the doorbell. Mrs. Weasley opened it with a smile.  
“Bill! You're early! Come in, your father and I have missed you. Food's not quite ready yet; I didn't expect you so soon. We cleaned up your room, so it should be fit for habitation... And-” she glanced over and her smile dropped for a moment, though she composed herself quickly. “Fleur. It's lovely to see you too.”

Fleur's second impression of the Burrow, this time from the inside, wasn't particularly flattering either. Seemingly every surface was covered in something: mismatched cutlery, photographs, paperwork, assorted Muggle items. “Eet is... quaint,” she whispered to Bill, who stifled a laugh.  
Mr. Weasley looked up from behind a stack of newspapers. “Oh, hello.” He did a double take as he saw Fleur. “You'll need to sleep somewhere! Dear, is there anywhere for our guest to stay?”  
“She could stay in the extra room on the third floor. It's a little snug, and a bit dusty, and we'd have to move some boxes, but I think it will do,” Mrs. Weasley called from the kitchen. “Bill, can you show her up there?”  
“Certainly, Mum.”  
Fleur was not particularly pleased with this. “I think I can stay with Bill. I do not wish to sleep in a closet, and we are not mischievous teenagers. I am marrying 'im.”  
“Of course,” said Mrs. Weasley, seeming chagrined.  
When Mrs. Weasley brought out a feast to welcome back her newly engaged son and his fiancee, it did not escape Fleur's notice that her own portion was the smallest, and that all the food was decidedly English.

A visit of a few days turned into a visit of a few months turned into an indefinite stay as Molly kept Bill under the pretense that “we want to keep our family together. With the war going on, you can't be sure of much. Who you can trust, where will be attacked next... we want you to be safe.” Of course, Fleur stayed as well. She wanted to keep her job at Gringotts, and had nowhere else in England to go. Molly said nothing about her soon-to-be niece's extended visit, only pursed her lips and invited Tonks to dinner more frequently.  
Tonks pulled Fleur aside after dinner on one of these numerous occasions. “Hey, Fleur, just wanted to talk to you about- well, a bunch of stuff, really. Molly's been having me over a lot nowadays, and I think she wants me 'n Bill together.  
“She certainly does not want 'im to marry me,” Fleur said bitterly.  
“Well, I want him to marry you. Bill's a fine man and your a fine lady and you deserve each other. I... I'm interested in someone else, and Molly knows it- she's been trying to get me through it because he won't have me, and she seems to think a mutually beneficial arrangement would be for me to get with Bill. I don't want that, Fleur; I really hope you understand.  
“Of course. Now, Nymphadora-”  
“Tonks to friends.”  
“Tonks. Tell me 'oo zat is. I am part veela and French. I should know 'ow to make men fall in love.”  
“Wotcher, Fleur, that's really nice of you. The guy is Remus Lupin... the werewolf. He says that he can't be good for a woman because of his… condition.”  
“Well, we'll see what can be done about zat!”

As she stayed at the Burrow, Fleur grew somewhat accustomed to the house's odd angle and clutter, the routine of spending most time at Gringotts or on missions and the rest helping with the garden and cooking, and to Molly's coldness and most of the family's outright hostility towards her. She grew accustomed to it, but it didn't stop stinging every time she heard a whispered “Phlegm” or was sent to do more than her fair share of de-gnoming.  
At one point during Christmas holiday, which was particularly cruel due to Ginny's presence, she took Bill out to the garden. “When we came, Bill, I asked if they 'ated me. You said zat I am family now, and zat they love family. Maybe they love family, Bill, but they do not think I am family. They do not care about me, Bill.”  
“Fleur, I- I didn't realize.”  
“You 'ave not 'eard them call me 'Phlegm?' You did not see whem your seester slipped me your brother's prank candy? You thought all ze times I could not eat ze food because of allergies were just coincedence?”  
“No, I didn't. You never acted as though it bothered you, as though anything bothered you. If you'd told me before now, we could have gone somewhere else. There's a cottage near Tinworth my family owns. Shell Cottage, it's called, it's beautiful, Fleur. I was hoping we could move there after we marry, but we can go now if that's what you want. My parents can't force me to stay here, Fleur, I only stayed because you seemed happy here. I'm not helping my own case. My flower, I love you so much. Whatever you want, whatever you need, that's what we'll do.”  
“Do you think they'll stop, Bill?”  
Bill laughed dryly. “I wish I could say they would but... Well, the Weasleys and the Prewetts are both known to be rather stubborn.”  
“Then can we leave 'ere soon?”  
“Of course. If you can, I'd like to stay 'til at least the end of Christmas holiday, but if you can't, we can go earlier than that. We could apparate and be there in five minutes. Fleur, what do you want?”  
“I would love if you family didn't seem to consider me dirt, but more zan zat, I want you, Bill.”

After the Battle of the Astronomy Tower, Fleur spent countless hours with people she'd barely spoken to in months. She ran into Tonks, who was one of the happiest people in the grieving castle. “It's thanks to you, Fleur. Remus let me in and it's thanks to you and your speeches and your love.” And, of course, she worked with Mrs. Weasley as they both tried to help the man they cared about so much.  
It wasn't Fleur's first impression of Mrs. Weasley. It wasn't anywhere close to that. It was, however, one which stuck with Fleur for a long time, which let her know that Molly Weasley was family.

**Author's Note:**

> To Fleurting: From your Dear Author, it seems like you wanted smut, and I am not the person for the job. You got this mess instead. I'm sorry, I swear I can do better. On the other hand, I did have fun writing this, so that's a plus. I guess. Thanks for this prompt!
> 
> I can't tell you how many other ideas I tried before this. It's a lot.
> 
> Also, what even happened to Fleur's accent?


End file.
